Saint Michael's College

"Doc" Citarella was one of the most popular and beloved professors and coaches in Saint Michael's first century. He arrived on campus in 1948, and served as Professor of Humanities and Classics for the next 50 years. An extraordinary scholar and teacher, he received the College's highest Scholarship Award in 1989, when he was cited for "enhancing Saint Michael's College in the eyes of the community of scholars." Back in 1960, Athletic Director George 'Doc' Jacobs approached him and asked if he would create a men's soccer program. He built his first roster with an open tryout, and it featured students from Argentina, Austria, Costa Rica, Honduras, and the United States. He was not only coaching soccer, he was teaching it, as he converted several students who had never been exposed to soccer before arriving at the College. The team went on to win two of their first three varsity matches! Eventually, academic demands caused him to give up his coaching career, but in his four years with the team, he had built a quality, respected varsity program from nothing. In 1989, several of his former players paid tribute to him by founding a scholarship in his name.